


Three's Company

by vel16



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Humanstuck, M/M, Panic Attacks, Sadness, abuse mention in later chapters, blood mention, drug mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-09-30 12:56:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10163498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vel16/pseuds/vel16
Summary: Aroace Jade is living with Dave and Karkat, but as their relationship starts to fall apart, Jade and the rest of their friends have to band together to help them figure out what they want.





	1. The start of it all

Your name is Jade Harley.

You are 23 years old, and live in a three bedroom flat with your best friends, Karkat Vantas and Dave Strider.

It’s a small apartment; open-plan, with a kitchen island splitting the living area into two distinct sections. Dave and Karkat share the largest bedroom. You’ve never been in, but can imagine posters on the walls, music and cables littering the floor, and a bed that has probably gone unwashed for a good few weeks by now. Maybe even months. You don’t like to think about it. Dave’s turntables take up the smallest room. There’s a sofa bed squeezed in there somewhere, but you doubt there’s enough room to open it, even if Dave wasn’t as messy as he is. The medium bedroom is yours - your windowsill is filled with plants, mostly succulents. Each of them has a name, and they’re lined in size order. Your walls are painted a soft shade of green, and you have a luscious dark green rug on the floor. Your bed is made, but crinkly, and strewn with books and cuddly toys, also named.

You like naming things.

Today is the first of many that you’ve been woken up by Dave and Karkat yelling at each other.

You don’t like it.

The three of you have been living together for a little over a year by now. After you all finished college, you moved to the closest town, and the set-up has been working really well. Until now.

You don’t know what the fight is about - you make a concerted effort not to listen in, but you’re pretty sure it has something to do with money, maybe?

You roll over and start to try to go back to sleep, but as your eyes glance to your clock you realise you only have a couple of minutes until your alarm goes off anyway.

Welp, may as well get up, then.

You hop out of bed, grab your towel, and make your way to the bathroom. Tubes of shampoo and shaving cream have spilt on the floor; Karkat and Dave must have been having some serious makeouts in here last night. Or more. Ew. You turn your mind to more pleasant matters. 

You grab your own shampoo - Lush’s Curly Wurly - and turn on the shower. As you step in, the warm water streaming onto you, you are almost unable to hear the boys anymore. Your mind clear, you wash your hair, scrub your face, and just stand in the warmth for a few minutes.

You’re woken from your reverie when you hear the door to your apartment slam shut.

Great.

You turn off the water, dry yourself, wrap your hair in the towel, and cautiously open the bathroom door.

On the sofa, you see Karkat, sat completely still, almost in a trance.

“Karkat?” you call over, gently. No response. You quietly step towards him and call out again. Still no response.

You continue towards him, and sit at the other end of the sofa. As you gently reach out your hand, he turns to you, cheeks glistening with tears. His voice cracks as he half-whispers “He’s gone.”

At this you reach forwards and pull him into a hug. His shoulders are tense, and he clings tightly to your back as he lets out a few sobs.

“I’ve fucked everything up, Jade. I always fuck everything up.”

You shush him quietly as you stroke his hair. You’re glad you’re wearing a thick dressing gown; his tears are soaking your front, and it’s cold in the room.

“I’m so fucking stupid.”

His cries grow louder, and you stop being able to understand what he’s saying - it’s a mash of words blended into one long incomprehensible stream. You can make out multiple “fuck”s and the odd “Dave”, but that’s all.

You sit, holding each other, for the best part of half an hour, before you hear your phone alarm going off in your room.

“Shit,” you whisper. “Sorry Karkat, I have to head to work.” You start to pull away, but he clings tighter.

“Please… please don’t leave me… I c-can’t… c-can’t…”

You pull him in for another brief hug, then push away again.

“I’m so sorry, Karkat, but I have to go to work.”

“C-can’t you call in sick or something… p-please Jade, I don’t want to be alone…”

You sigh, and glance at the clock. You’ll probably be late by now anyway.

“Alright. Let me just grab my phone, I’ll be right back.”

He lets you pull away this time, and you stand up. He instantly curls into himself, sobbing uncontrollably. Jesus, this fight must have been bad. You stride to your room, call your boss, and explain that there’s been a -personal emergency-. Fortunately she likes you, and wishes you the best. You’re about to set your phone back down when you notice that during the call you received two texts, both from John. You open them:

EB: hey jade, dave’s just come over bawling his eyes out, what’s happened?

EB: ok, i don’t know what’s going on, but he’s staying at mine for a few days. also he’s asked if you can make sure karkat doesn’t contact him for a bit, is that ok?

Fuck.

You don’t know how to handle this.

You thumb a brief reply to John, then had back into the living room. Karkat is now lying down, his small body curled in a ball. You sit on the arm of the sofa and stroke his shoulder awkwardly.

“Do… do you want to talk about it?” you ask, hesitantly.

Karkat squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head.

“Is there anything I can get you? A drink? A blanket?”

He shakes his head again.

You don’t know what else to do. This is Rose territory.

Slowly, you stand up and start to head towards the kitchen. Karkat abruptly sits up.

“Don’t go.”

“I’m not, I’m just getting a drink.”

“I’m not thirsty.”

You reach into a cupboard and grab a glass. “Yeah? Well I am.” You fill it with water from the tap and make your way back to the sofa.

Karkat has stopped crying, but his nose is streaming. You grab a cloth handkerchief from your dressing gown pocket and hand it to him. He mutters his thanks as he blows into it, noisily.

You take it back from him, pull an over-the-top disgusted face, and toss it into a corner. It can be dealt with later. Karkat lay back down, and you’re absentmindedly stroking his head. He seems to like it, and pushes into your hand slightly.

You are unsure about whether or not to bring up John’s texts.

You decide not to, for now. Hearing Dave’s name will probably set Karkat off again, and you think it might be a bad idea if Karkat knows he’s at John’s if he wants to be left alone for a bit.

Yeah, you won’t tell him right now. Maybe later, once he’s calmed down.

Karkat reaches a hand up and gently pulls the glass from your hand. You laugh lightly as he takes a sip. “I knew you’d be thirsty” you tease. He gives you the finger, but takes another mouthful.

You sit like this for a while, in silence. You like silence. Well, not proper silence, but quiet - the only noises being those from your environment; the ticking of the clock on your wall, a faint hum from the fish tank in the corner, the sound of distant cars outside. It’s another forty minutes until either one of you speaks.

Karkat sits up, snot and tears stringing between his face and the sofa. He wipes a hand across his face, then on his sweater. Delightful. You open your arms for a hug, and he falls into them, gratefully. It only lasts a few seconds until he slowly pulls away.

“Sorry” he mumbles.

“Don’t be silly. I’m your friend, cry all you like.”

“Sorry you’re missing work.”

“Oh hush. I could use a day off.”

You grin at him and he reciprocates, weakly.

“I’m gonna go wash my face.”

“Good idea.” As he shuffles to the bathroom, you flick the coffee maker on. He’s gonna need a lot of caffeine to get through today.

You hear the tap in the bathroom turn off, but Karkat doesn’t emerge. You hear his phone chime from the sofa, and see that he has a text from Sollux. You don’t read it, but send a text to Sollux from your own phone, asking him to be particularly kind today. He doesn’t respond. How very Sollux.

You sigh and flip your phone away, and Karkat slowly opens the bathroom door and shuffles towards you. You reach down his favourite mug, but let him fill it.

Three glugs and it’s empty again. 

Karkat slams the mug down and turns to you, looking much better already.

“Let’s go to the park” he demands.

You simply nod, and fetch your coat and scarf. It’s early January, so there’ll be a nip in the air. Karkat doesn’t add any layers - just heads straight for the door. You hesitate for a moment, then decide that he knows what he’s doing, and simply follow him, grabbing your keys on the way out.


	2. The Cool Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade comforts Karkat as she prepares a visit to see Dave

The park is a simple ten minute walk away. Karkat steams ahead, and you have to almost jog to keep up with him. The streets are fairly empty - most adults are in work and children are at school - but there’s a bustle of activity around you as students make their way to and from the local university - your alma mater. You stayed close because you like the area, and this park in particular has been a popular spot for you and your friends for the best part of four years. Plus, you work there now, with hopes to complete a doctorate eventually. You were a biology major, with a specialism in botany, particularly herbs and natural poisons. Your undergraduate thesis was on mint and its supposed healing powers.

You’re drawn back to reality as you realise you can no longer see Karkat. You’ve entered the park by now, but the trees restrict your view of what’s directly ahead. You turn left and make your way to your and Karkat’s favourite picnic bench, and - yep - there he is, practically bouncing up and down on the cold, slightly damp wooden bench.

You jog up to him, “hey, nearly lost you there.”

He looks around at the surrounding trees, but says nothing.

“You ok? Want to talk? It can be about anything?”

Karkat points at the nearest tree. “What kind is that?”

You follow his finger. “White Oak. State tree of Illinois. ”

“Fuckin’ nerd.”

You grin and sit next to him. Half a minute passes before either of you speak.

It’s Karkat who breaks the silence. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on anyway.”

You put a comforting hand on his shoulder, then pull him in for an awkward sideways hug. He pats you with both hands, his cheek resting on your shoulder. In the distance you can hear a mish-mash of sounds, from cyclists whirring along the rough paths, to dogs barking, to cold students wrapped in thick coats and scarves scurrying to and from class. It’s just now that you realise that Karkat’s shivering. He’s vibrating so much it’s wobbling the entire table. You pull away, gently.

“Wanna get a coffee?”

“I just had coffee.”

“Well we can get cake or something. A cookie. Hot chocolate. Come on, you must be freezing.”

“I can’t feel a goddamn thing.”

“There’s a showing of 13 Going on 30 at the Old Show?

Karkat looks at you and nods his head. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

//

97 minutes (plus the trailers) later, and you’re walking out of the theatre, squinting at the sun, low in the sky. You reach for the sunglasses in your bag, then think better of it. Karkat finally seems to be in a good mood, and you don’t want to ruin it. He’s babbling about how great Jennifer Garner is, particularly in the Thriller scene and how he doesn’t understand why a 13 year old would choose to be thirty anyway, like, being in your late teens or early twenties was so much desirable to him when he was younger and-

As you walk back together, you start worrying about logistics. When you get home, Dave’s stuff is still going to be all over the apartment. The couch is his, as is the TV. You imagine most of the stuff in his and Karkat’s room also belongs to him, as well as almost everything in the smaller bedroom. Karkat doesn’t own much at all, he’s rather frugal and a bit of a minimalist, whilst Dave is a collector. As you reach the front door to your apartment building, it seems to hit Karkat too. He hesitates before punching in the entry code. After swallowing, he enters in some (wrong) numbers, but gets it right on the second try. A buzz, and the door unlocks for you to push through. You enter the lobby, but Karkat once again hesitates. You hold out your hand, and he takes it, stepping forward.

Silently, you climb the stairs to the third floor. You always take the stairs - much better for the environment, and you welcome the exercise. As you approach the door to your apartment, Karkat starts to trail behind again. You push forward, insert your key into the lock, and swing open the door. As you step inside, you hear a jittering sigh from behind you, then footsteps as Karkat follows you in. He doesn’t slow down or stop, but heads straight for his bedroom and closes the door. Well, that’s that, you think to yourself, as you settle on the couch and turn on the tv.

You flip through a few channels, but nothing much seems to be on. Bloody day-time tv. You switch the screen off and close your eyes, leaning back so you’re stretching over the back of the sofa. Your hair almost reaches the floor, and your glasses start to slip down your nose. As you push them back up your nose, you come upright, and instantly feel dizzy from the speed. “Shit”, you mutter to yourself, and you make your way to the kitchen for a glass of water and a snack. As you’re staring into the fridge, you feel your phone buzz in your pocket. You pull it out to see who’s texting you.

John.

You hastily open your phone and read the first text:

EB: hey jane, um, dave has some things that he needs. like pajamas and shit. any chance you could bring some stuff round? not right away or anything, just when you have the chance? i’m not sure how long he’s wanting to stay (and to be honest i don’t think he does either) but maybe like a week’s worth or something?

EB: i’m not working today or tomorrow, so any time is fine. i think dave could do with talking to you too, i think he feels bad about the way he left. all embarrassed and shit. don’t tell him i said this though

GG: sure john thats fine! :) i was going to pop round with some stuff later anyway. do you think he’ll need his work stuff or will he not be going?? if hes in a similar state to karkat id imagine no, but i dont want to assume!!

GG: ah, maybe dont let dave know i said that :/

EB: it’s ok, to be honest he doesn’t seem up to much right now, but he might get better? Maybe bring some stuff just in case - i don’t want to ground him here if he wants to go to work or anything

GG: alright, ill pop round later. karkats just gone in their bedroom and i dont want to disturb him, but when he emerges ill grab some stuff.

You start to put your phone away, but decide to text Rose instead. You reckon she and Karkat could do with a chat.

GG: hey rose, i dont know if youve heard about dave and karkat but i really think karkat could do with talking to someone who can actually help? i feel useless, i dont know what to say and i dont want to make him feel worse or anything

TT: Hi Jade Its Kanaya Rose Is Otherwise Disposed At The Moment

TT: However If Karkat Needs A Friendly Chat I Can Visit If You Think My Company Would Be A Suitable Alternative

TT: I Would Hate To Intrude If My Presence Is Unwelcome However I Believe I Am Quite A Good Listener And May Be Able To Provide Some Thoughtful Insight Or At Least Gentle Support

GG: thatd be great thank you :) when can you be over???

TT: I Can Be There In Half An Hour If That Is Convenient

GG: perfect thanks!! :)

You grab some of Dave’s apple juice from the door of the fridge and take a few swigs before returning it.

“Karkat?” you call through his bedroom door.

“Karkat, Kanaya’s on her way over.”

You hear a groan from inside.

“I don’t want to see anyone.”

“You don’t have to, she’s just going to stay here whilst I pop out for a bit. In case you need anything.”

Another moan, more gutteral this time.

“Fine.”

You hesitate before continuing, “John’s asked me to pick up some of Dave’s stuff and take it round. Do you mind? You can pack it if you want, or I can, whatever you want.”

There is no response. You sigh, and sit back on the sofa to wait for Kanaya.

//

When the doorbell rings, you race to the door. Kanaya’s stood there, with a bag that appears to be full of snacks. You wearily smile at her, and saying nothing step aside to let her in. She sits her bag down on the sofa.

“Thank you,” you say, as you step forwards for a hug.

“No problem,” she replies, embracing you briefly, before pulling away.

You approach Karat’s bedroom door again. “Karkat? Kanaya’s here. She has snacks.” You hear shuffling and then the door opens. Karkat mumbles something at you, then pushes past to hug Kanaya. Cautiously, you enter his and Dave’s bedroom. You blink and look around in awe. One wall is completely taken up by an enormous bookshelf, stuffed with books and DVDs - they look like they all belong to Karkat as it’s mostly romance and chick flicks. The rest of the room is spotless - the duvet cover looks like it’s been IRONED and the floor is clear apart from a red fluffy rug. There’s a desk with karkat’s laptop on it, and a wardrobe that they apparently share. There are posters on the wall - one of Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff, what looks like so kind of artwork, and a movie poster for 10 Things I Hate About You.There’s marijuana on the windowsill, along with a bong, but you knew about that. Everything else comes as a surprise.

Sat open on the bed is a large bag - you guess Karkat left it for you to pack.You open the wardrobe and grab a few shirts and fold them in. You also pick out a pair of trousers, and then start searching through drawers for underwear. God, this feels weird. You’re just thankful most of Dave’s tops are the same sort of colours and styles - mostly red or white and red, with either a cog or a record design. You have no idea what they mean, but it makes packing for a week easier.

You have one quick glance around the room to see if there’s anything else Dave might like to have with him, and you notice his phone charger. You grab it, stuff it in the bag, then leave the room, closing the door quietly behind you. Kanaya and Karkat are having what looks like a heart to heart on the sofa, so you wordlessly pass them, grab your coat again, and leave to walk to John’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading :) I have more of an idea about where this is going now, so expect more regular updates from now on


	3. The other side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving Karkat with Kanaya, you head round to John's to make sure Dave's ok. He's definitely not, but there might be something you can do to help.

John answers the door very quickly. He looks so relieved to see you, you worry about what Dave’s been like. You see a parallel with yourself and Kanaya; John smiles wearily and stands aside, much as you did for her. You stumble through the door, wielding the large bag full of some of Dave’s belongings, and sit it heavily at the side of the room.

John’s apartment is even smaller than yours, but it is only him living there. The living room currently doubles as a spare room - sofabed up, with a long, red, Dave-shaped lump lying face down, hair ruffled, sunglasses to his side.

You turn to John. “How’s he been?” you ask in a hushed tone.

He shakes his head. “I dunno, I haven’t managed to get much out of him. He’s been very quiet. It’s kinda spooky.” He shrugs. “I don’t think I’ve ever been around him without him constantly talking.”

He gestures towards the lump, and you make your way towards the mass of red.

“Dave? You doing ok? I brought your stuff.”

An arm appears from under the cloth - a thumbs up. You sigh and turn to look at John, but he’s already disappeared into his room. Excellent.

You open the bag and pull out the charging cable. “Hey, I brought your phone charger, figured you’d need it.”

Dave shuffles around under the covers for a bit, but ultimately emerges, his eyes closed. He reaches for his sunglasses, puts them on, and beams at you.

“Thanks Jade, you’re the best. As soon as I got here I was like fuck, I’m gonna run outta juice, but I knew you’d save the day because you’re a fucking lifesaver and I knew I could rely on you. Thanks for coming over by the way, I’m sorry to be a fucking pest, it’s just a bit awkward sleeping in my birthday suit in John’s living room, y’know? And I could never fit into his pyjamas or anything. Hey, did you know John’s bedroom is completely blue? Like, completely - the walls, the carpet, the furniture, even the fucking ceiling! I’ve never seen a blue ceiling before, only white, and his blind is blue too, I’ve never seen so much fucking blue in my whole goddamn life, I think it’s like a fetish or something, that man sure does like blue.”

Dave had hardly breathed during during that entire monologue, and he was still grinning, albeit somewhat out of breath. You simply sit next to him, smiling sadly.

“Well, blue is a pretty great colour”, you say, indicating to the blue design on your own shirt.

Dave opens his mouth as if about to speak again, but closes it without making a sound. Dave Strider, lost for words? You reach out an arm and put it around his shoulders. He leans into you gently, resting his head on your chest, and takes in a large, shaky breath.

“How’s he doing?” he asks, quietly, so you can barely hear him. You have no idea how to answer; you don’t want to say Karkat’s ok because that’s a lie, and you don’t want Dave to think he’s not upset about the situation. At the same time, you don’t think letting Dave know how upset Karkat is will do anything except make him feel guilty.

You opt for not answering. “How are you doing?” you ask, stroking his head.

He sits up, looking down, and starts fiddling with his fingers. “Not great,” he mutters with a shrug. “I feel awful about what I said. You probably heard all that, right?”

“Not really,” you admit. “I heard something about money, but that’s literally all I know.”

Dave shrugs again, and starts picking at the skin around his fingernails. “It wasn’t really about money. I just told him that so…”

He pauses as one of his fingers starts to bleed slightly. Sighing, he stands up and grabs a tissue from a nearby table.

“He can’t find out. He’d kill me.”

“Karkat wouldn’t kill…”

“Not Karkat. Bro.”

You were not expecting that. “Bro? What does he have to…”

“He doesn’t know. About me and Karkat.”

This confuses you. “But… but he’s been to our house, how does he not know? He knows you live together…”

“With you. I told him… I told him it was me and you that were together and Karkat lived with us.”

You frown at this. “You told Bro I’m your girlfriend? Why?”

“Because…” Dave sniffs, and wipes his nose with the back of his hand. “Because Bro’s a homophobic piece of shit, that’s why. I can’t… I couldn’t… If he knew…”

You see a tear run down Dave’s cheek, as he struggles to take in a breath to continue talking. Holy shit, you didn’t realise things with Dave and his Bro were so strained. Whenever Dave mentioned him, he gave the impression that he almost idolised him. It had struck you as unhealthy, but not for these reasons, not like this. You pat Dave’s back gently, then reach for the tissue box. As you hand it to Dave, he mumbles a “thanks” before blowing his nose loudly.

John must have heard the crying, because he was suddenly by Dave’s other side. He mouthed something at you and gave a quizzical look. You just shrugged and started stroking Dave’s back. The three of you sit together for a while. It doesn’t take Dave long to stop crying, and his sobs are soon replaced with a numb silence. You feel your phone buzz in your pocket. It’s Kanaya.

GA: How Is Dave

GA: Karkat Has Not Said Much About What Happened

GA: We Are Sat Watching 27 Dresses So Take As Long As You Need With Dave

GG: thanks kanaya, youre the best :B

GG: daves going though some shit but it should all be better very soon

GA: That Sounds Wonderful

GA: Let Me Know If There Is Anything More I Can Do

By the time you’ve finished that brief interaction, Dave has stood up, slightly wobbly on his feet, and grabbed a carton of apple juice from the fridge.

“So…” you start, not sure quite how to approach the subject. “So, your argument with Karkat wasn’t actually anything to do with him?”

“I guess not.”

“So why does he feel guilty?”

Dave freezes. “He does?” You nod your head. “Ah man, fuck, that wasn’t supposed to happen, he was meant to be mad at me.”

“Dude, it’s Karkat, of course he blames himself,” John says from beside you on the sofa.

Dave smacks himself on his forehead and groans. “Nooooooo, that’s why I said it was money, so he didn’t feel bad, shit bro, that was the whole point.”

“What do you mean?”

Dave sighs and sits heavily between you and John. “Ok, so, I got an email from Bro. ‘Cause we haven’t seen each other in like two years, yaknow? So he invited me and ”my partner”” (Dave held up two fingers as he said “my partner”) “to go visit him. Karkat doesn’t know that didn’t mean him. I didn’t want to get into that, because I knew he’d start all self hatin’ an’ shit, so I said I wouldn’t go. When Karkat asked why, I said I couldn’t afford it, so he offered to lend me the money, and I refused, and it escalated into this huge argument, and now I don’t know what I can say to him to fix it and oh shit, oh shit, this is it, isn’t it? We can’t move on from here? It’s all over?”

John looks alarmed as Dave starts breathing very heavily, and his arms start shaking.

“I can’t… we can’t… there’s nothing…” Dave practically gags, his breath catching in his throat.

You’ve seen panic attacks before, so you’re considerably calmer than John. Gently, you ask Dave if he wants a hug, or to be left alone, or a drink. Still shaking, he holds out his arms, and you hug him tightly, feeling your shoulder dampen as his tears (and probably saliva - ew) fall from his face. John hugs him from behind, and Dave’s breathing eventually slows back to a more normal pace. You can feel his heart still pounding, but he has stopped shaking as violently, and seems almost calm when he pulls away from you.

“Feelin’ any better?”

He nods, and stands up, heading to the bathroom. As the door shuts behind him, you pull out your phone, and text Kanaya again.

GG: hey kanaya, were gonna be heading over there in the next few hours or so just a heads up. i dont know if karkat will want to know or not ill let you judge

Time for you to fix this shitshow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry this took so long to get out! I knew how I wanted this chapter to start and end, but I had some difficulty with the middle. Hopefully it worked out ok though :)  
> It should get happier from here on out, I promise, they just needed to be in a bad place for a bit.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first fanfic, and the first time I've done any kind of creative writing years, I hope I've still got it :/  
> I also haven't actually finished reading Homestuck yet, so there'll be no post-scratch characters until I meet them myself, if at all.  
> (If you're curious, my homestuck tumblr is velreadshomestuck.tumblr.com)  
> I'm also really bad at naming things, so you have awful chapter names to look forward to, yay.


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